U.S. Secretary of Education Announces Public Meetings to Discuss New Regulations for No Child Left Behind

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings recently announced in the Federal Register a series of upcoming public meetings being held around the country to discuss the proposed changes to regulations for No Child Left Behind. The meetings will seek comments from the public on the proposed regulations at the following dates, times and locations:

• Wednesday, May 14, 2008
  Hilton Boston Back Bay Hotel
  40 Dalton Street
  Boston, Mass. 02115
  Time: 9 a.m....

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NIH REVEALS FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PREMATURE INFANT SURVIVAL, DISABILITY

Based on observations of more than 4,000 infants, researchers in a National Institute of Health (NIH) newborn research network have identified several factors that influence an extremely low birth weight infant's chances for survival and disability. The findings offer new information to physicians and families considering the most appropriate treatment options for this category of infants.

Every day, physicians and new parents must struggle with the type of care to provide to extremely low...

Gene for Brain Networks Tied to Autism

A gene that helps the brain make connections may underlie a significant number of autism cases, researchers in the United States reported on Tuesday.  Disruptions in the gene, called contactin 4, stop the gene from working properly and appear to stop the brain from making proper networks, the researchers reported in the Journal of Medical Genetics.  These disruptions, in which the child has either three copies of the gene or just one copy when two copies is normal, could account for...

U.S. Government Concedes First Vaccine-Autism Case

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal agency that oversees the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently conceded the first vaccine-autism case.

The unprecedented concession was filed on November 9, and sealed to protect the plaintiff's identify. It was obtained through individuals unrelated to the case.  It was one of the first three cases chosen that alleged Thimerosal in childhood vaccines...

Study Shows Variety of Approaches Help Children Overcome Auditory Processing and Language Problems

For children who struggle to learn language, the choice between various interventions may matter less than the intensity and format of the intervention, a new study sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) suggests. The study, led by Ronald B. Gillam, Ph.D., of Utah State University is online in the February 2008 Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. NIDCD is one of the National Institutes of Health.

The study compared four...

THIN BONES SEEN IN BOYS WITH AUTISM AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Results of an study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center suggest that dairy-free diets and unconventional food preferences could put boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at higher than normal risk for thinner, less dense bones when compared to a group of boys the same age who do not have autism. The study was published online in the "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders".
 
The researchers...

National Institutes of Health Develops Down Syndrome Research Plan

The National Institutes of Health has developed a research plan to advance understanding of Down syndrome and speed development of new treatments for the condition, the most frequent genetic cause of mild to moderate mental retardation and associated medical problems. The plan sets research goals for the next 10 years that build upon earlier research advances fostered by the NIH.

"Through the years, the NIH research effort has led to increased understanding of Down syndrome," said Elias...